One Year
by Naoko Matatabi
Summary: Shippo reflects on his family, old and new, on the one year aniversery of his parents' death. Rated T for death and mild Inuyasha vocabulary.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, thanks for clicking on that link that brought you to my story. This is just something I felt the urge to write while watching that episode of Inuyasha where Shippo learned the Heart Scar. Sorry to those who haven't seen that yet, but really it's not that big of a spoiler, besides that this story really doesn't have any spoiler alerts. Hope you enjoy the story.**

**Disclaimer:**** I in no way shape or form own Inuyasha or any related characters. There aren't even any OCs for me to claim this time.**

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In our pack Inuyasha is usually the first to wake up, but today is special so I wake up first. Slowly I start to slip out of the sleeping bag I shared with Kagome last night. However her eyes start to flutter open. I freeze. She murmurs something about a 'geom-o-tree' and then goes back to sleep. Quietly I free myself from the sleeping bag and sit near the remnants of last night's fire. It was last night that I remembered what day today would be.

Today is the day my parents died.

Strangely enough it was Inuyasha who reminded me. I was bored so I stole some of his ninja food. Then of course we got into a fight. It wasn't anything different from our normal fights. However this time he said something about how they should have ditched me when they had a chance a year ago. That's when I realized that it had been one full year since Okaasan and Outo-san where killed by the Thunder Brothers, Hiten and Manten. I don't blame Inuyasha for reminding me. He's an idiot so I'm sure he didn't remember or mean anything by it. I'm also glad that none of the others caught on. If they remembered then all I'd get today would be sad pitying looks. I don't want their pity.

I look around our camp site. Everyone is still asleep and the sun won't rise for a while, so I decide to leave, just for a little bit. Cautiously, I double check to make sure Inuyasha is asleep. If he catches me leaving he'll tell Kagome and then she'll want to know why I left and then it'll all end with those looks of pity. Thankfully Inuyasha is sound asleep in the tree he claimed as his perch last night. Silently I leave the camp and make my way to the grassy river bank near by. I sit at the edge of the river and think.

I miss my parents. The day they were killed is still fresh in my memory. I had been looking forward to that day for weeks because Outo-san said that was the day he was going to show me some new kitsune magic. We were just about to go to the river where Outo-san taught me how to use my spinning top, when the Thunder Brothers attacked. Outo-san told me to go hide in the den with Okaasan. I didn't want to. I wanted to stay and fight, but I was too scared. Okaasan and I stayed in our den waiting for Outo-san, but he didn't come back. When we heard strange movement at the entrance of the den Okaasan told me to go out the escape tunnel. She told me she and Outo-san would come find me when it was safe. Then she left, heading straight toward the strange noise. I did as she said and ran away. I hid under the roots of a tree for hours and hours, just waiting to hear Outo-san or Okaasan calling for me, but they never did. Finally I decided to go back. They shouldn't have been taking so long. I arrived at the den, only to find it demolished. The smell of fire was everywhere. I didn't see any flames so I assumed the fire had already been put out. However I also smelled something else, it was a strange pungent smell. Looking around I expected to see Outo-san and Okaasan fixing the den, expected Okaasan to scold me for coming back before she came for me, expected Outo-san to ruffle my fur like he always does and then tell me to start digging out the den, but none of that happened. What I saw was two people dressed in armor. The one in red armor had a large sword strapped to his back and a long black braid. The one in purple armor looked like a white toad and was sitting near a black cauldron next to a fire. Then I saw the impossible. The toad was wearing a pelt around his waist. It wasn't any pelt. It was my outo-san's. It was then I identified the strange smell on the wind. It was charred flesh. Which could only mean…

I brake out of my remembering when I feel something hit my leg. Without knowing it I had begun to cry. Quickly I wipe my tears on my sleeve and calm myself.

"When you need to cheer yourself up, just think of something happy."

I look around. She wasn't there. Okaasan had told me that. Listening to her long lost words I focus on a happy memory. The river I'm at reminds me of the day Outo-san gave me my spinning top. He had crafted it for me with his own paws. He had given it to me as a reward for catching my first fish all on my own. He had been so proud of me.

I wonder what he would think of me now. I'm traveling Japan with a miko, a hanyou, a monk, a demon-slayer, and demon cat. Not exactly what I thought I'd be doing in a year. However I start to think about them and what they mean to me.

Kirara is my friend. She and I understand each other. When Miroku and Sango or Inuyasha and Kagome are acting weird or fighting I can stick with her. She plays with me when everyone else is too busy.

Sango is like an aunt. When Inuyasha and Kagome are fighting I can perch on her shoulder. She also explains things to me when I don't understand.

Miroku is like a weird uncle. He helps me tease Inuyasha. He also tries to tell me things about women, but usually he'll get beat up before he can really say anything. Pervert.

Kagome is like an older sister to me, sometimes she's even like a mother. She brings me ninja food from her era. She allows me to sleep with her. She carries me around. She even stood up for me when Kouga's pack wanted to eat me. She's the closest thing I have to a mother now.

Then there's…

"Hey, Shippo!"

"Inuyasha?" I turn around to see the half demon walking towards me. "What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Came to get you Squirt. You've been gone for hours."

I look to the sun. Sure enough it's almost read to peak over the horizon. I hadn't realized I'd been gone so long.

"Wait a minute. How did you know when I left? You were asleep."

"Keh. Runt, I'm always the first one up. Now come on. Kagome will have a cow if she wakes up and you're missing." Inuyasha said, motioning for me to follow him.

He didn't tell anyone I'd gone? Why? I'd have thought he'd tell Kagome the moment I left camp, just to get me in trouble. It's something the jerk would do.

I get up to follow, but pause for a minute to take a final look at the river. I hear Inuyasha come up behind me. I expect a hit on the head for being slow, or an insult. I hear his hand move and brace for the impact. However when his hand does make contact with my head, he only ruffles my fur. Just like Outo-san used to.

"It's tough kid, but you still have us."

My eyes widen at his words. So the idiot did remember. I turn to look at him, ready to find pity on his usually frowning face. However I found no pity in his eyes, instead I found pride and caring. I'm shocked, to say the least. It was the same look Outo-san had the day he gave me my spinning top. I feel a swell of happiness. My surrogate brother, my surrogate father, is proud of me.

"Now come on, before Kagome wakes up." He says as he walks away.

I smile. So the idiot isn't all that bad. Maybe I'll stop stealing his food for awhile.

Or not.

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**So what'd you think? What's that? I can't hear you through the screen. Try pressing that review button.**

**The next chapter is the same event but in Inuyasha's point of view.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**** I in no way shape or form own Inuyasha.**

**Inuyasha's POV**

I watch from the tree as the runt leaves camp. I'm not really worried he'll wander off or get hurt, he's within hearing range so I'll know if he's in trouble. Besides I think he needs to have some alone time today. I don't think the others have realized it yet but the kit lost his parents about a year ago. The only reason I remembered was because of our fight after he stole my ramen last night. We picked the kid up about a year ago, back when it was just Kagome and I. He had been doing pretty well in our makeshift pack, but I was uncertain if it was enough. He had a family now, but we were by no means apt replacements for an actual kitsune family.

Not having grown up in a demon family myself I really don't know all the details as to what the kit is missing out on. However I know his father would be the one to teach him important yōkai skills like hunting, fighting, and interacting with other yōkai. I figured we were pretty set in the fighting department. The kid freaking lives with a group devoted to killing demons, he'll learn more fighting when he's older. Being the only hunter in the pack I'll be the one to teach him how to hunt. If he hasn't been spoiled with too much ninja food, that is. We encounter yōkai on a daily basis so the kid will have no problem identifying them, and killing them for that matter. Personally I don't think he needs to know much else. It's pretty obvious that he's comfortable around humans and most of the demons we've met aren't worth knowing. However he should know anyway, just in case. I'll talk to Sango and see if she can teach him anything. There is one thing that ticks me off about him living outside a yōkai community. He has no friends his age. Sure, there's Kirara and the random village brats that we run across, but he doesn't have any consistent friends who he can call on at any time. I remember growing up with only my mother for company. I loved her, but I wanted kids my own age to play with. Several times I've thought of leaving the runt in Kaede's village, just for a while. If he stayed he might be able to make friends with some of the village brats. But then I think about how the kids in my village treated me. I don't want to risk the runt feeling like that. He may be a brat and steal my food and be damn annoying, but he's one of the pack. Plus I don't think Kagome would leave without him.

Speaking of Kagome… I look down to see if she's still asleep. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see her still curled up in her sleeping bag. If she wakes up and finds the brat gone she'll freak out. I better go get him before the wench wakes up. I jump down silently and follow the squirt's scent. He's at a nearby river, sitting on the bank and looking pensive. I feel a little bad for the kid. I know how it feels to lose both parents.

"Hey, Shippo!" I call.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" He asks.

I can smell tears on his face, but I don't see any trace of them.

"Came to get you Squirt. You've been gone for hours."

The kit looks surprised and looks around. He must have been deep in thought to have not noticed the time.

"Wait a minute. How did you know when I left? You were asleep."

I roll my eyes. "Keh. Runt, I'm always the first one up. Now come on. Kagome will have a cow if she wakes up and you're missing." I answer, turning as I motion for him to follow me.

He gets up to follow, but stops to look at the river again. I walk up behind him and ruffle his fur. "It's tough kid, but you still have us."

He turns around to look at me. He looks kind of surprised. What, did he think I was going to hit him or something? Keh. I only hit him when he deserves it.

"Now come one, before Kagome wakes up." I say as I begin to walk back to the camp. I don't know why, but I feel proud of the little guy. He isn't crying and whining like I half expected him to. He's being mature and handling himself like an adult. Maybe the runt ain't so bad.

But I'll still pummel him if he steals my ramen.

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**That's it. I hope you liked it. I'm thinking of writing a chapter where Shippo's parents are watching over the group. What do y'all think?**


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